A Change in the Winds
by PiratePrincess29
Summary: Why not? Because he was a pirate. Why? Because he was a pirate. Jack/Elizabeth Four-Shot. Mid DMC. R&R? Thanks!


A/N: Hey, yeah new story. I will update the others... soon. I've just got a lot of HW and work right now but I'll get to it eventually. :) Hope you guys like this little Four-Shot! A HUGE hug to my wonderful beta, the one and only Jack.Sparrow.1245. You're amazing!!

Disclaimer: PotC belongs to Disney.

* * *

Wind. A strange phenomenon. At times, it could be soft and gentle, a breeze. At others, it could be harsh and fierce, bringing with it the fury of a tempest. Jack Sparrow, however, was particularly fond of wind for many reasons. It got his ship going, for one. Without wind, the _Black Pearl_ would succumb to being stationary and, therefore, its purpose would be defeated.

Yes, Jack loved the wind for getting him where he wanted to go. He liked the wind because it kept him cool under the hot Caribbean sun. He liked how it could make the waves lull him to sleep at night. He even enjoyed the fluttering noise it made whenever it passed through his dreadlocks causing his trinkets to chime quietly in the air. Yet the main reason for which he loved wind most was how it made a certain Elizabeth Swann's golden hair glint in the sunlight. How it made her soft, bright tresses bounce softly in the delicate breeze. And he _especially _loved the way it would occasionally hit her blouse causing the collar to reveal some not-so-well hidden cleavage as she worked aboard the ship. Wind was an enticing force, indeed.

Of course, any force that would grace Elizabeth was enticing. _All of her_ was enticing.

Time and time again, Jack scolded himself for being so ridiculously naïve. Falling in love never did anybody any good. So why was he falling for her trap? Did she even know how utterly beautiful she was? He loved to watch her scurry about the deck, always cautiously looking around her to make sure she wasn't in anyone's way. As Captain, he had the privilege of simply standing at the helm and observing his crew. Well, one crewmember in particular.

Ever since he had crossed paths with her again in Tortuga, he was excited to be able to spend time with the fiery and spirited young girl. Age. It was such a demeaning notion for one could be young and wise while one could also be old and foolish. It didn't mean anything. Just look at him, for instance. A thirty-three year old Captain and he knew more than most fifty-year olds did! And he was in excellent shape. Thirty-three… He was only twenty years old when he sold his soul to Davy Jones. Thirteen years later, here he was with the lovely Miss Swann in search for the one thing that could relieve him of that debt: Jones' heart.

Just over a year ago he had said his goodbyes to Elizabeth and Will. _"It would have never worked out between us, Darling."_ He had been so stupid to say that, because now it never bloody would! He sighed tiredly as he watched her fairy-like form lean over the railing, a small smile on her rosy lips. They had just talked about persuasion, something Jack had been eager to persuade her to do. She was just too damn stubborn, though, and walked away, leaving him with an insatiable lust. Lust? Was it _still_ lust anymore? Had it ever been just that or… or perhaps something more? All these feelings just seemed to confuse him even more. He had never been very good with feelings. It was always so simple. Now, how come all this was-

_What the bloody hell is he doing?! _

Jack's confusion quickly turned to anger as he saw James bloody Norrington walk over to stand next to Elizabeth. _How dare that slimy, ill-smelling deckhand approach me Lizzie like that?_ _His_ Lizzie? Jack looked down at the two once more and when he noticed Elizabeth reaching for the compass, he quickly pulled out his spy-scope and pretended to look off into the distance, only from the corner of his other eye seeing that her gaze swept over him… a confused look on her face. Could it be, perhaps, that she felt something for him, too? He really needed to get that darn compass back if he was ever going to figure out his feelings. Perhaps he could persuade her to return it? Decidedly unlikely.

By now, Jack had already gotten rid of the letters of marquee. They were in his cabin. So for what reason was the compass pointing to him? _Oh well_, he thought. _Time to call it a night. Or day, for that matter._

Elizabeth stole another glance at Jack standing in all his glory and scolded herself for looking. Norrington was right about the compass being broken. What kind of compass didn't point north? It was preposterous. It was all a lie. _It probably always points to him or something. Some trick._ Yes, that was it. A trick.

Pleased with her conclusions, she allowed herself one more look at the charming (did she just say _charming?_) captain and it was then that she realized something.

Perhaps it wasn't _just _the compass that was not working. Her heart seemed to be malfunctioning as well.

* * *

That night, she received word from Gibbs that Jack wanted to eat with her in his cabin. Her instincts told her to say no, but her heart told her to go and so she did.

Carefully, she knocked on Jack's door at dinner time. The whole ordeal reminded her of when she had to eat in that very same cabin with Barbossa. Of course he didn't try anything, but she always felt that he had been wanting to. Thank goodness he was dead. He had done Jack so much wrong, he didn't deserve to live. And after all, perhaps the only reason he had not tried anything was because he needed her. That, and the fact that he couldn't even feel the warmth of a woman's flesh. But Jack could… Should she even be here? No. He wouldn't do anything. She trusted him. He didn't do anything to her on the island and that comforted her despite the fact that part of her wished that he had done something. _Anything_.

By the time she noticed that he had opened the door, she saw that his dark obsidian eyes were boring into her, probably wondering what she had been thinking about.

"Are ye alright, luv?" he asked, concernedly.

"Yes, I'm fine, I was just…" she wrinkled her forehead in remembrance. "I was thinking about Barbossa."

His eyes widened horrifically. "An' what reason could ye possibly have for doin' that?" A hint of jealousy was evident in his voice.

At that, she smiled inwardly. "You mean you don't know?" she inquired coyly, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Unless ye've got some… unfounded fondness for the traitorous bastard, pardon me French, luv, I don't see why old scraggly beard should be on your pretty little mind." he explained with great ease.

"It's just that the circumstances, they're so similar-" she began.

"What circumstances?" he interrupted.

Elizabeth's gaze grew slightly distant. "That's right. How could you have known? When I was kidnapped on the Pearl, Barbossa did the same thing you're doing. You know, dinner in the cabin and all. I had never been so frightened in my entire life. What with him, his monkey, and his apples." she said with disdain. "The dinner was quite exquisite, actually. But that look he kept giving me…" her eyes narrowed. "They gave me the same options as you. Dress or nothing." she finished, laughing a little.

She then proceeded to enter the cabin and shut the door. Before she could get to the small dining table in the corner, Jack grabbed her by her vest, then her arms and shoved her against the wall gently. The thought of him attacking her crossed her mind for less than a second and her mind was put to ease when she saw the genuinely concerned look on his face. She tried to break free but his grip only tightened on her. His eyes were unreadable and he continued to search her face.

"Jack?" she asked meekly.

Jack took a deep breath. "I swear if he… if that bastard… Lizzie. Did he do anything to you?"

"Who?"

"Hector. Did he hurt ye, Elizabeth?" he repeated the question.

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, of course not. It wouldn't matter if he had, though. You already killed him. What else could you do?"

His eyes darkened, if it was even possible. "I would do anything, Elizabeth. _Anything_. Hell, I'd bring him back to life to kill him again."

She feigned laughter to try and lift the mood, all the while shrugging his hands off her shoulders. "I appreciate that, Jack. Should I need your assistance, I will inform you immediately." She smiled. "Shall we eat?"

"'Course, luv." Then he paused. "Ah, ah, ah." he scolded as she was about to pull the chair out for herself. "Ladies first." he said gentlemanly, then pulled the chair out for her.

"Well, thank you, Captain Sparrow. I had no idea you were such a gentleman." she said jollily.

"Luv, there's a lot ye'd be surprised to know 'bout me person." he said, sitting down himself.

"Oh, I'm sure." she replied haughtily.

Jack poured her some rum and kept the bottle for himself.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" she inquired, wondering what they would do once they got to the island.

Jack smirked. _Well, after a marvelously pleasurable night with ye, I intend to wake up and repeat said pleasures until me merry self is satisfied_. Which would likely be… _never_.

"Well… Tomorrow we'll reach Isla Cruces an' find the thump-thump." he explained.

Elizabeth's brows furrowed. "And after that?"

"We bargain the heart to get rid of me little debt and, of course, free dear William."

She smiled, unable to contain her emotions. "Good plan, then. I hope this works, Jack. Then things will finally go back to normal."

Jack watched with utter astonishment as a cloud of discontentment settled over Elizabeth's features. She should be happy about this, about all this nonsense of being on a pirate ship coming to an end and yet… she looked at Jack for a brief moment and it was enough to make her realize just how much she would miss him. Him and the _Pearl_… and everything about sailing which, again, included being around him.

"Something wrong, luv?" he asked, concerned.

"No, I'm fine." she replied quickly. "I was just thinking about Tortuga." she offered, trying to change the subject.

His eyes seemed to light up when she mentioned the pirate port. "Why's that?"

"You really did not recognize me, did you." she said more than asked. "Was I _that _convincing?"

"You're small, luv. Ye could easily make off as a feminine lad." _A very attractive lad, at that._

They ate the rest of the meal exchanging thoughts and memories. Soon enough, they bid each other good night and went their separate ways.

* * *

The next morning Jack walked out of his cabin and, as he approached the stairs to the helm, he noticed dear, sweet Elizabeth sitting on one of the steps looking as melancholy as ever. Rum bottle in hand, he sauntered over to her and sat down next to her.

"My intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are _troubled_." he began, eyeing her, tension thicker than the sea-permeated air.

After a slight pause, her gaze grew regretful. "I just thought I'd be married by now… I'm so _ready _to be married." she whispered assuredly.

Jack offered her the rum, which she took gladly. _If only rum could solve all my problems_, she thought bitterly.

"You know" he cleared his throat, repositioning himself so that he was facing her, "_Lizzie_. I am captain of a ship. And _being _captain of a ship, I could in fact _perform _a mar-ri-age. Right here. Right on this deck. Right… _now_." he said, waving his hands for emphasis.

His usual behavior made it all seem like a joke, a charade. But the look in his eyes… that look of complete seriousness and- was that _desperation _she saw glinting in his dark obsidian eyes? The apparent joke suddenly turned serious and it frightened her.

"No, thank you." she replied, trying to cover up her nervousness with feigned annoyance, shoving the bottle of rum back at him.

She got up and walked to the railing, Jack following closely behind.

"Why not? We are very much alike, you and I, I and you. _Us_." He pressed.

Now _there _was a question. _Why not?_ A million things rushed through her mind. It was a valid question but it was also a difficult question to answer. If he had asked her 'why', then she could give him a list of reasons. He was charming, handsome, kind, brave, friendly, a pirate, witty, a pirate, clever, a pirate, and intelligent, and a pirate. Did she mention he was a pirate? That reason could work both ways, however. _Why not?_ Because he's a pirate. _Why?_ Because he's a pirate. They were friends and he had saved her life more times than she could count. Yet she remembered their last goodbye and eyed him challengingly.

"Why not?" she repeated his question. "I thought it was you who said that it would never work out between us." A wry smile crept its way to her face as Jack acknowledged her argument as true.

"Aye, that I did." He grinned. "Ye know, it's curious, luv."

She stiffened, his husky voice having an undesirable effect on her. "What is?"

"Ye talk and talk and you've still yet to give me an answer." he pointed out.

"Jack…" she scoffed. "You can't possibly be serious about this. I'm _engaged_."

Ah, yes. There was still the matter of one William Turner to resolve. Or perhaps it was already resolved? He was a part of the _Dutchman _now. Out of the way, as it were. He was no longer a threat. The whelp, though, always _did _have luck when it came to escaping certain predicaments, and the thought of him returning scared Jack in a way that he was not used to. Jack wanted to bind Elizabeth to him. At all costs. At _any _cost. He would give up the _Pearl_, the sea, piracy, and even rum for her. He'd give up that which he worked for his whole life, his legend, if she would only stay with him, marry him, _love _him. He had never felt like this about anyone in his whole life. If he were to lose her, his life would become even more of a mess than it already was.

"Engaged." he echoed. "That may be but, unfortunately, your betrothed is now a part of Davy Jones' crew. Part of the crew, part of the ship. Can't right as well be engaged to a ship, aye?"

"I thought you said we could save him! That's why we're looking for the chest, isn't it?" She eyed him suspiciously. He wouldn't betray her… _would _he?

"An' if we can't _find _the bloody chest?"

She looked him dead in the eye. "I _will_ save him, Jack. If not for Beckett interrupting us, we would be married by now. And once he's rescued, we'll have a small wedding and-"

"And you'll be cursed to spend your entire life on land with a bushel of little wee ones to look after while dear William does all the work, practicing with his swords and all that. Never again to set foot on a ship, to sail on the seas, to be the pirate ye know you are." he interrupted in a most serious voice, a trace of sadness lingering in his all too true words.

Elizabeth grimaced at his observations, shying away from him and looking out at the horizon. He was right. If she married Will, she'd never see the horizon again. She'd never sail into it again. The call of the sea was strong but was it stronger than her love for Will? She didn't even notice when Jack came up behind her and placed his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms almost possessively around her waist.

"Ye know…" he whispered hotly into her ear. "Ye won't see the likes of that sun if ye choose to go Port Royal."

"What do you think you're doing, Jack?" she asked, her eyes shining in the sunlight.

"I'm just tryin' to show ye what you'll be missin' when ye go off into your fairytale adventure with the whelp."

She scoffed. "Hardly an adventure. To tell you the truth, my adventures began when I fall off the fort. You could say it was the best day of my life, really." she said, smiling to herself.

Jack released her and turned her around to face him. "It was the best day of _my_ life, Lizbeth."

Her eyes clouded over in confusion. "Why?"

It was a simple enough question and yet it took him over a minute of staring deeply into her amber eyes for him to answer her.

"Why was it the best day of my life?" he echoed, cupping her face in his rough, warm hands. "Because it was the day I met ye, Lizzie. Me life hasn't been the same since."

"_Oh Jack_…" She frowned a bit. "Without you, I wouldn't have a life. There's no way Norrington…" she paused, looking around to make sure that he wasn't around to hear. "There's no way that he would have gotten to me in time. I'd be dead if you hadn't been there. Of course, you abused of my gratitude with the whole hostage incident."

"Aye." He smirked, recalling how good it felt to have her against him clad in nothing but her shift. "The best _moment_ of my life."

He leaned in, his kohl-lined eyes half-closed as he claimed her lips with his. At first, he kissed her softly but when she started to return the kiss, it escalated into something fierce and passionate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, sighing inwardly at her virulent lack of self control. _What would Will do if he saw this?_ _Oh no. Will!_

Elizabeth pulled back abruptly, much to Jack's dismay, and he eyed her cautiously, almost afraid that what he had done was unforgivable. That she would never let him come near her again for fear of him putting her honor on the line.

After catching her breath, a trivial task indeed, she glared at him, crossing her arms in the process. "Why would you do that? You _know _I love Will. Does it please you to see me suffer like this? Well, let me tell you, Jack Sparrow. Your days of- of flirting and daring to say whatever you wish in front of me are over! It's like, it's like you're like a very bad drink. You're like rum and Will, he's water and I _know _that I should pick the water but there you are, the rum, in all your glory. Maybe it's the color or the smell, or even the _taste _but _somehow _I start for the rum until I realize that I'm drinking rum and not water, but by the time I figure it out, it's too late because I have to cope with the fact that I've already fallen for the rum, and that there's no point to the water when the vile and immoral, yet _beautiful _rum has already stolen my hea- _quenched my thirst_." She managed to say less than a few breaths.

Jack stared at her, wide-eyed and wary. Perhaps those two days on the island had been two days too many. Maybe her pretty little head wasn't as thick as he'd once thought and she'd been dreadfully affected by the sun. Still, if what she was trying to convey in that slightly stranger than strange metaphorical explanation was true, then she just professed her love to him. The idea began to look appealing, but he honestly had no idea what that little outburst was supposed to mean.

"So… am I supposed to interpret that, luv, or would ye care to do the honors?" he asked, still blatantly confused as to what she meant.

After a conflict with her conscience, Elizabeth sighed in defeat and looked at him almost sweetly. _Almost_. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, I- I'm terribly sorry."

"But ye did say it. An' I'm not goin' anywhere until ye tell me exactly what you mean." he mock-threatened.

"Yes." she said.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, luv? Yes _what_?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

Jack's face froze and he looked at her like she was the crazy one to even suggest that in the first place. Then, a smile replaced the look of complete shock on his face.

"So quick to forget about other engagements?" he asked, checking to see if she was just joking.

She smirked. "Perhaps being Mrs. Jack Sparrow wouldn't be such a bad trade after all."

"An' how exactly do ye plan to go about all this?"

"I expect you to go get your Bible or _whatever _it is pirates consider holy and for us to say our vows." she said confidently.

"Aye…" His eyes lingered on her lips for a moment. "I'll be right back."

He ran into his cabin and rummaged through his bookcase, trying to find his Bible which, paradoxically, he had read before. He grabbed it and, by the time he got to the door of his cabin, he saw the beautiful angel that had been waiting for him outside walk in and close the door behind her.

"I'd rather not do this in front of an audience, if it's all the same to you. Of course, Gibbs can be our witness but I have a feeling you'll want him gone afterwards." she said, eyeing him suggestively.

He did not know what exactly had triggered her sudden change of mind. She herself was a bit unaware of that herself. Maybe it was the feeling of loss. Just a hunch that this might possibly be her last adventure at sea before she settles down. After all, she could marry Jack now, certainly he wasn't serious about the whole ordeal, and then settle down with Will. At least she would always have this, this moment in time that no one could take from her that she would look back on.

"Forget Gibbs." he said as he went to lock the door. "No interruptions."

For every step he took, Elizabeth took one step back until she met the wall, no way to escape. Jack approached her and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Do ye, Lizzie, take me to be your husband?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes." she replied, kissing his nose playfully. "Do you take me to be your wife?"

"_Aye_. I may now kiss me blessedly bonnie bride." he announced before capturing her lips in a fiery kiss, proceeding to carry her to his quarters.


End file.
